Reviews

Colin McRae Rally 04

Well, that's not entirely true. Expert racers will be pleased as punch by the inclusion of unlockable super-powered 1980s rally cars, which were banned from real-world competitions after numerous fatal and near-fatal accidents proved them too tough to handle in these notoriously dangerous competitions. Even so, winning will require the sort of care and precision typically bypassed in more casual arcade racers.

Regardless of which car you're using, prior to each set of challenges tweaking your ride in the service area is essential. In accordance with the upcoming terrain and your overall driving preferences, the sleekly designed minimalist menu (a stylistic trademark of this series that tends to draw a mixed response) will swiftly guide you through the particulars of how to best adjust your tire setup, brake bias, steering speed, gear ratio, ride height, springs setup, and anti-roll mechanism.

Impetuous drivers are also granted a quick race option, in which a random car and random course are selected for you, bypassing the service area. Overall, this does little to prepare gamers interested in learning what it takes to earn championship status, but it does serve as a relatively non-threatening intro for newcomers, and a fast means of obtaining that essential racing fix for pros.

A hairpin shy of perfection.

Euro-rally cars rule.

Those familiar with the series will be excited to learn that aside from the enhanced graphics and physics engine, this installment also allows players to select any available car in the championship mode. Naturally, you'll need to stick to your car of choice for the duration of a championship. But with over 20 high-performance rally cars to ultimately choose from, each handling in its own unique fashion, the ability to play as someone other than Colin McRae in all modes greatly diversifies the game, dramatically upping its inherent replay value. Several new upgrade mini-challenges, in which players must complete special tasks in order to test out and obtain technical upgrades during a championship season, serve to further this cause.

Boasting stunning visuals, impressive physics, realistic sound, smooth control, and a very high replay value, all at a surprising bargain bin price of $19.99, for gamers who aren't obsessed with online play, this game may well give Microsoft's own turbocharged RalliSport Challenge 2 a run for its money. Still, hardcore Xbox Live! users should be weary of the unacceptable abuse of the "Online Enabled" logo on the front of the CMRR04 box: despite the inclusion of numerous offline multiplayer modes, online all you can do is post your scores.

A few other points of contention prevent this otherwise great title from reaching its full potential. Failing to take advantage of the Xbox's ability to allow for in-game MP3 customization options, the developers have once again left gamers with a single ambient techno track during every menu selection screen. In addition, the insulting marketing ploy of offering gamers cheat codes for a fee, via 900 number or a special link on the Codemasters website, remains intact here.

Turbo pop can scare spectators.

Lastly, while great care has been put into making the cars seem as realistic as possible (right down to windshield wipers smudging the windows as seen from the in-car cam), the environments, while relatively impressive on the whole, do not share the same level of realism. Up close, trees and spectators look pixilated. Crashing into a small bush on the side of the road often has the same effect as crashing into a large boulder: rather than getting uprooted, the bush may actually manage to stop and damage your car.

Still, with high frame rates that won't quit, 52 stages set across eight different countries, an impressive array of environmental effects, multiplayer options in every mode, and all of the strengths of past installments of this series, Colin McRae Rally 04 is a worthwhile pick for any avid Xbox racing enthusiast.